All American Road Trip
by Napalm77
Summary: Summer vacation has arrived and the gang doesn't want to be apart. So what better than exploring America with all your closest pals. J/A, minor U/Y Reviews are much appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

All American Road Trip

A/N: Just a warning, when it comes to the parents giving the gang permission for the vacation, it's going to sound a little rushed and un-parent like, but I just didn't feel like typing out all the discussion they'd have to have to make it sound realistic.

Chapter 1

The sun shone down brightly from the cloudless blue sky, warming the ground and the breeze that blew over it. Gathered in their usual spot by the vending machines were the five retired Lyoko warriors. They were playfully bantering back and forth, simply enjoying the beautiful day that marked the end of yet another school year. Jeremie and Aelita sat shoulder to shoulder on the bench while Odd leaned his elbows on the back of it from behind them. Ulrich leaned against one side of the door frame opposite from Yumi. They glanced at each other before looking back at Odd who had been laughing at his own joke for far too long.

"If you don't stop soon, you're going to suffocate," Ulrich joked.

"It doesn't matter. His brain's so dead it doesn't need oxygen anymore."Aelita quipped, smiling over her shoulder at Odd.

They all erupted into laughter except Odd, who scowled, responding, "You guys have no sense of humor."

Yumi said between fits of laughter, "That's the problem Odd, we do."

The previously fading chuckles came rushing back full force. Even Odd couldn't help smiling a little. "Whatever. I'm just glad school's finally out. That last week was torture."

"You could say that again good buddy. I swear, Mrs. Hertz's class seemed like it was never gonna end."

"But thankfully it finally did," Aelita said, "So what are you guys doing for summer?"

"I'm not really sure. I guess I'll probably go back to Italy. I'd much rather stay here with you guys." Odd said.

"My parents, or should I say my dad, wanted me back in Germany. He's going to make me go to a tutor all summer or something lame like that. To be honest, I'd rather stay with you guys even if it means staying at school." Ulrich grumbled.

"My parents were planning on going back to Japan for a while, but if I could find a way out of it, I'd be thrilled. I hate to be apart from all of you." Yumi answered.

"I think my parents were hoping to have me back at home. I'd prefer spending my summer with you all. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and want to see them, but you guys are more fun to be around." Jeremie responded.

Everyone turned to look at Aelita.

"What," Aelita said, raising her eyebrows, "You know I'm stuck here. It's not like I have somewhere I could go."

Odd straightened up, clapping his hands together, "So it's settled. We all have crummy plans that we'd much rather skip to spend some quality time with our best friends."

Everyone nodded their assent. "In that case, why don't we all plan our own vacation? We could go on a road trip somewhere."

Ulrich raised an eyebrow at his friend. "No offense Odd, but I'm not sure I could stand being stuck in a car with you for any length of time."

"Oh come on I'm not that bad, besides we all agreed that we wanted some bonding time and what better way than travelling cross-country with all your closest pals."

Aelita was the first to come around. "I think it could be fun. I've always liked exploring new places."

Aelita sent Jeremie a pleading look. He made the mistake of looking into her sparkling green eyes. His willpower instantly crumbled. "I'm with Aelita. I think it could be a cool experience. And we wouldn't have to be separated over break."

Yumi rolled her eyes. "Alright, I guess it could be fun. Even if I'm the one that's going to have to drive us everywhere."

Odd looked back to Ulrich. "Come on good buddy, it's four against one."

Ulrich sighed and looked at Yumi. "Who knows, you might have fun." She said.

"Alright, I'm in." Ulrich said. If anything, at least he'd get to spend time with Yumi. "But where exactly are we planning on going."

Nobody had thought of that. They all looked at each other questioningly. Finally Odd spoke up. "Why not America?"

They all stared at him. "America?"

"Well why not," he retaliated, "We all know Europe like the back of our hand, so why not go somewhere none of us have seen."

This time Ulrich was the first to come to his defense. "He's right you know. I mean, if we're going to do this, we might as well go all out."

"I've done a lot of reading about American culture and other things and I think it's a cool idea." Aelita said.

"If Aelita's in, so am I." Jeremie replied.

Yumi stared at them all. "And how exactly are you guys planning on paying for all of this? I mean we have to buy plane tickets and pay for a rental car and hotel rooms and countless other things?! Where are we supposed to find that kind of money?"

Odd scratched the back of his head nervously, blushing in embarrassment. "I, uh, well, I hadn't really thought of that."

Jeremie came to his rescue. "I'm sure if we pool all of our funds together we'll have enough. And if not, I think my dad could probably pay for some of it."

"Yeah, and my parents would help us out I'm sure." Odd added.

"My mom might help out, but my dad's a definite no." Ulrich said.

Yumi shook her head, "My family's not in very good financial condition, so I'll have to pay for it all myself."

Aelita spoke up, sadness tingeing her voice. "Actually, I don't think I can go."

All eyes turned toward her. "Why not, I thought you said you had nowhere to go?" Jeremie asked.

"Well, I also have no money. No way to pay for any of this. And I can't ask you guys to pay for it."

"Aelita, you're our friend," Jeremie said, setting his hand on top of hers, "We'd gladly pay for your trip so that you can come with us."

"Yeah," Odd said, "It wouldn't be the same without you."

She looked nervously at them all. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden."

"Aelita," Jeremie spoke softly, "You are most certainly not a burden. In fact, you're quite the opposite."

Aelita smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth. Jeremie's heart stopped momentarily as her beauty caused his mind to stall. She turned towards the rest of her friends.

"You're coming, Princess. End of discussion." Ulrich said, gently clasping her shoulder.

"Yeah, now for the hard part," Odd said, "Actually getting the vacation okayed by our parents."

They all chuckled before dispersing to their respective dorms and house.

(Break)

Odd picked up his cell phone off his bed and dialed home. It rang three times before it was answered.

"Hello?" a young female voice asked.

"Hey sis," Odd said brightly, "Could you put mom on the phone. I need to talk to her about something important."

"What!" she said mock angrily, "You don't want to talk to your big sister?!"

"Are you kidding? I almost hung up once I knew it was you." Odd replied playfully.

He heard her laugh and call loudly, "Mom! Odd's on the phone!"

After a moments pause she said, "Alright, here she is. Love you bro."

"Love you too sis."

Odd heard the phone being exchanged and his mom's bubbly voice exploded through the speakers. "Hi Odd. How's everything going?"

"Great mom, how are you?"

"The usual," she chuckled, "Just trying to keep your sisters in line."

Odd smiled. "Good luck with that. Hey, I was wondering if I could maybe skip coming home for awhile so that I could go on a vacation to America with all my friends?"

"Well . . . alright, but we really miss you here. You promise to come home for at least a month before you have to go back to school?"

"Of course. Love you mom. Tell everyone I said hi. Oh, and I'll be sending Kiwi out to you soon, so don't forget to get him from the airport like you did last time."

His mom giggled. "I won't. Have fun and call us periodically to fill us all in about America."

"I promise."

Odd hung up the phone just as Ulrich walked in.

"So what's the verdict?" Ulrich asked.

Odd gave him two thumbs up. "I'm good to go."

"That's one down. Now for the real challenge: convincing my dad to let me go."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and your mom will answer. Anyway, if you need me, I'll be in the bathroom. Those meatballs really aren't agreeing with me." Odd said as he half walked, half sprinted out the door.

Ulrich rolled his eyes and dialed his phone. It rang for what seemed like forever before a gruff man's voice answered. "Hello, who is this?"

"_Great,_" Ulrich thought, "He_ had to pick up the phone."_

"Hey dad, this is Ulrich. Can I talk to you about something?"

(Break)

"Please dad, can I go?"

"Well. . . I don't know. It just doesn't seem like a good idea for a teenage girl like yourself to be running around in a foreign country alone with a group of boys."

"I won't be alone dad. Aelita's also going. Her parents okayed her, so why can't I go? Pleeeeeaaaase?"

"I don't know. We really don't have the money to pay for it."

"That's not a problem! I can pay for it myself and what I can't, Jeremie said his dad should be able to help pay for."

"Well. . . I don't know. I don't like having to ask for help."

"You wouldn't be asking, I would. Pleeeeeeeaaaaase?"

"Well. . . let me talk to your mother about it once she gets home."

"Thank you dad. I love you."

Yumi leaned down and kissed his cheek before running upstairs to her room.

"I didn't say yes yet." Mr. Ishiyama said, but she was already gone.

(Break)

"Hello Jeremie, it's so nice to hear from you son. You really should call more often. So what is it you wanted?"

"My friends and I were planning a vacation to America and I was wondering if you'd let me go?"

"What are you doing during the vacation?"

"Well we were planning a cross country road trip of sorts so that we could explore all that America has to offer."

"That sounds like a lot of fun, but let me talk to your mom real quick. Just stay on the line, I'll be right back."

Jeremie heard his dad set down the phone and walk into the next room. Jeremie sat in his chair and leaned his elbow on the table. Several minutes passed before the phone was picked back up.

"Alright Jeremie, Your mother and I decided that it'd be fine for you to go on this vacation with your friends. Just promise to say hi to all of them for us will you? And you have to call us while you're there and tell us how things are going, ok? Also if you or your friends need help paying for anything, don't be afraid to ask. Your mother wanted to talk to you for awhile so here she is."

"Alright thanks dad, love you."

(Break)

After much arguing and yelling, Ulrich's dad finally relinquished the phone to his wife.

"Ulrich, honey, if you really want to go on this vacation, then you're free to do so. But you have to promise me that when you get back to Germany that you'll take the tutor like your father asked you to. Please?"

Ulrich sighed. "Alright mom. Thanks for letting me go."

"No problem honey. You know your father really does love you, even if he doesn't always act like it. He's always bragging about you when we're out with friends and he always talks about how proud he is of you to me."

"Thanks mom, love you. And once dad cools down, tell him I said I love him too."

"I will honey. I'll leave you some money in your bank account to help pay for your vacation and so you can buy some souvenirs while you're in America. Love you son."

Ulrich hung up his phone and flopped down on his bed. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back. "_Maybe this summer won't be so bad after all._" He thought happily to himself. His phone buzzed and he looked at it. He had a text from Yumi. "_I can go! :)_" Ulrich smiled and replied, "_That's great. Me too." _He set down his phone and shut his eyes. "_Yeah, this summer could definitely be fun."_

(Skip to day of flight)

Aelita opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. _Knock. Knock. _She sighed and slipped out from under her covers. She shuffled over to her door and slowly pulled it open. Standing in the hallway was Jeremie, but at that exact moment it wasn't him she was looking at, but rather what he was holding. In one hand was a steaming cup of hot chocolate and in the other was the most delectable looking croissant Aelita had ever seen. She finally looked at the boy holding them, mouth beginning to water. Jeremie extended both of them towards her, saying, "I got the croissant fresh from the bakery in town and the hot chocolate is homemade, courtesy of Jeremie Belpois himself. I figured you'd like to have a nice breakfast before our long flight since airplane meals aren't the greatest."

Aelita took a bite of the croissant. She purred in delight as it practically melted in her mouth. She washed it down with a sip of hot chocolate that coated her mouth in its milky goodness.

"Jeremie, this is amazing. You really know how to make a girl happy." She stood on tip toe and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Jeremie rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "Oh, well, anything for you Aelita."

She smiled at him, "I think I'm going to take a shower to help me wake up once I finish this wonderful breakfast." She pushed her door open the rest of the way and walked back to her bed.

"We're loading the car right now, so I can take your bags if you want. That way you don't have to rush through your shower." Jeremie said as he walked to the corner where Aelita had them stacked on top of one another.

"That'd be great if it's not too much trouble." She answered between mouthfuls of her croissant.

"Not at all. Come down when you're ready." Jeremie hefted one bag over his shoulder and gripped the handle of the other. He walked out the door, pulling it shut with his foot. Aelita finished her breakfast in peaceful bliss. She savored every last bite of the light and fluffy croissant and quickly downed the last of the chocolate drink. Aelita stood and stretched, looking out the window at the beautiful day that awaited her. "_Not quite yet._" She thought as she grabbed her shower kit and headed out the door.

Aelita twisted the knob, shutting off the water. She could stand in its warm spray forever, but she remembered her friends waiting on her outside. She quickly got dressed and jogged out of the dorms. Once outside, she was glad she hadn't stayed in the shower all day. The sun warmed her skin but the light breeze offset it perfectly. She closed her eyes, taking in all the sounds and sensations that summer had to offer. She felt a soft hand wrap around hers. She opened one eye and glanced at the happily smiling boy beside her.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"I think summer might be my new favorite season."

Jeremie chuckled. "Are you ready to go?"

"I call the window seat."

(Break)

The five teens retrieved their belongings after passing through security. Jeremie had had a tough time justifying the fact that the body scanners could see _everything _to Aelita, but he eventually convinced her to go through once Yumi had. Once they had found the gate where they were boarding, Odd had set off in search of food he could take on the plane. Jeremie decided to work on his laptop for the hour that remained until their flight boarded and Aelita continued her novel. Ulrich and Yumi sat cross legged on the floor across from one another, a stack of cards between them. After some time, Ulrich had grown bored with the game they were playing and flung a card at Yumi. It grazed her ear and flew into a man's lap a few feet behind her. Yumi returned fire, beginning a battle of who could hit who with the most cards.

Just as the fight reached its climax, an airport employee stalked towards them, a deep scowl marring her face.

"I've gotten several complaints about two teens causing trouble so I have to ask you to stop whatever it is you seem to be doing or you will be asked to leave the premises."

Ulrich and Yumi glanced at each other, mild blushes appearing on both their faces. "Alright, we're done." Ulrich said sheepishly.

"Thank you." The employee huffed as she turned on her heels and strode away. Once out of earshot, both teens burst out in laughter. Jeremie looked over the rim of his glasses at his two friends that were rolling around on the ground. He rolled his eyes and looked at Aelita who was doing the same. She smiled and motioned towards her wrist. "Where's Odd, we're leaving soon?"

"Beats me, but I'm sure he'll be back in time."

(Break)

Odd strolled leisurely up to the gate just as their group was called up to board their flight. In his arms, he clutched a multitude of bags of peanuts, pretzels, chips and random other snacks. The boarding attendant stared at him dumbfounded, but made no comment on the matter.

The gang found their seats and got comfortable for the long flight. Jeremie and Aelita sat together, Ulrich and Yumi sat diagonally in front of them and Odd sat behind Aelita with another girl around his age. After the plane had taken off, Jeremie pulled out his laptop and some headphones. He plugged in a movie and Aelita set her head on his shoulder. She watched the movie for awhile before her eyes grew too heavy to hold open and drifted into a peaceful slumber. Not long after her, Jeremie too drifted to sleep. Ulrich noticed the couple asleep on each other's shoulder and motioned to Yumi. She grinned and pulled out her phone to take a picture. Ulrich reached over and shut Jeremie's laptop and put it away for him.

As the endless flight droned on, Ulrich and Yumi chose to entertain themselves with each other. They would've played cards had they not lost the majority of them in the airport. So instead they listened to Yumi's music and read the on board magazines.

(Break)

Aelita awoke with a start as the plane lurched violently. She sat upright, her eyes traveling to the small window next to her. Much to her relief, she realized the turbulence had been them landing. Suddenly she was filled with the energy of being on a completely different continent in a completely different country. She roused Jeremie, who, after a moment's notice began to frantically search for his laptop. Ulrich noticed his friend panic and told him he had put it away for him. Jeremie relaxed, sinking back into his seat. His hand found Aelita's as they waited for the plain to coast to a stop.

After what seemed like an infinite amount of time, the passengers were finally given the okay to exit the plane. Aelita bounced down the aisle with Jeremie in tow. She said goodbye to the pilots as she passed the cockpit. The gang was stopped in their tracks when they exited the gangway. They were struck with a sense of awe as they took in just how massive this airport was in comparison to the one they had just left. Yumi was the first to break the stupor and reminded everyone they still had luggage to retrieve. So they set off to find the baggage claim.

With their belongings in tow, they set off for the entrance. The glass doors slid open and let the warm summer night wash over them. Ulrich started loading the rental car while everyone but Aelita climbed in. She instead stared towards the city in the distance. She was having trouble comprehending just how big the city was when a gentle arm wrapped its way around her waist. She looked at Jeremie who in turn smiled softly at her.

"It's rather amazing, don't you think." Jeremie said, gesturing towards the mass of lights on the horizon.

Aelita simply nodded and climbed into the car next to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Aelita stared at the buildings sliding by the car window. The lights danced like crystals on the glass pane. She watched the few stragglers who still remained on the street at the late hour. Her stomach was twisting itself in excited knots as she thought about the day to come. All she could think about was the fun she was going to have with Jeremie and all the rest of her friends. The minutes ticked by quickly and sooner than she expected the car was stopping in front of the hotel. She stepped out into the night and retrieved her bags. Jeremie went ahead of them to get their rooms squared away.

Once they had their keys, they headed up to their rooms. Yumi and Aelita went to one while the boys entered the other. Jeremie walked across the plush carpet to the far queen bed and dropped his bags next to it. Odd dumped his things in the middle of the floor and flopped on a bed. Ulrich took the other.

"Hey guys, I'm going outside to look at the city before I hit the sack." Jeremie told them. Odd snored in response. Ulrich rolled his eyes, "Alright, but I wouldn't stay out too long. We've got a long day ahead of us."

Jeremie nodded and slid open the door. He stepped out onto the balcony and set his hands on the wrought iron railing. Jeremie gazed out at the multitude of buildings and lights sprawling out in front of him.

"It's more beautiful than I could've ever imagined."

Jeremie nearly jumped out of his skin as the soft female voice rang out among the silent air. He grabbed at his chest and stared at the pink-haired girl standing on the balcony next to him. Aelita blushed and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh no, it's alright Aelita. I just didn't know you were out here. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Aelita responded, raising one eyebrow, "But to answer you, I wanted to see what the city looked like at night. I had heard it was pretty but words just don't do it justice."

"_It's not the only thing words don't do justice," _Jeremie thought to himself as the breeze blew her bangs across her face. The lights from the city below caused her green eyes to sparkle and glow. Aelita reached across the gap between the two balconies and gripped Jeremie's hand. He intertwined their fingers.

"There's just something magical about nighttime." Aelita murmured, as she stared out, "It just seems to enhance the natural beauty in everything."

Jeremie nodded, mindlessly rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "You've always loved the night, haven't you?" Jeremie asked softy.

"I've always felt at home in the night. It's comforting to me." Aelita sighed happily. "Where are we going tomorrow Jeremie?"

"I figured it'd be cool to walk around the city, so I found a couple of things within walking distance. We're going to the Empire State Building," He said pointing to a building that stood head and shoulders above the rest, "and then after that we could go to Central Park Zoo for awhile. And after that, I was thinking that we could walk around Central Park after nightfall."

Aelita nodded, "That sounds like fun." She yawned loudly.

Jeremie chuckled, "I think it's time for both of us to head to bed." Aelita started to protest but another yawn interrupted her. "Ok, good night Jeremie. I can't wait for tomorrow."

"Neither can I. Sweet dreams Aelita." She smiled and walked into her room. Jeremie followed suit. After seeing that no space existed on either bed for him, he settled for the couch. After just a few minutes, he had drifted into a restful sleep.

(Break)

Jeremie awoke to the sound of his watch alarm. He groaned and set out to rouse his friends. Once they were out of bed and getting dressed, Jeremie went next door to wake the girls. He knocked several times before a disheveled Aelita answered the door. She cringed at the light in the hallway and covered her eyes with her hands.

"What? Do I look that bad?" Jeremie said mock-hurtfully.

Aelita rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder playfully. "I guess this means I have to wake up?"

"Yes, sleepy head. When you're ready, come down to the lobby for breakfast."

Aelita nodded then backed into her room. Jeremie returned to his to shower and dress. Once they were ready, Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie headed downstairs. They all gathered together a plate of food from the complimentary buffet and sat at a table. Aelita and Yumi joined them after Odd had gotten his third plate. After they were all full and content, the gang set off for their first destination. As they walked the crowded city streets, Jeremie and Aelita steadily lagged behind. Aelita gasped and towed Jeremie towards a large store window. On the other side were a couple of puppies panting inside of their cage. They were small with floppy ears and colored light brown with darker brown spots scattered around their bodies. She plastered her face to the glass, smiling brightly at the little animals. One of them stood up on its rear legs and placed its paw on the window across from Aelita's. She giggled happily and waved at them.

Jeremie stood next to her, chuckling to himself. "_It's amazing," _He thought, "_that she could mature so much yet never lose her child-like innocence and curiosity. Just one more of the countless things I love so much about her."_

Odd realized that the duo was missing and spun around. He saw them standing together looking in the window of the pet store. He smiled slyly and called, "Come on you two. You can discuss pets on your honeymoon."

They both blushed vividly before jogging to keep up with them. Once they stopped watching, Aelita silently slid her hand into Jeremie's. He squeezed it reassuringly.

The rest of the walk passed by uneventfully and they soon found themselves standing in front of the Empire State Building. Aelita leaned back, trying to stare straight up at the top. Before she realized what was happening, she was falling backwards. She started to panic until a pair of arms caught her. She sighed in relief as she was righted. She looked at Jeremie who stated, "You didn't really think I'd let you fall, did you."

Aelita giggled and pulled him through the door. She stopped and stared in wonder. The lobby's floor was a highly reflective brown tile that reflected the golden roof beautifully. Jeremie walked ahead of her to buy tickets for the observation deck.

Aelita strolled down a hallway, stopping at the end to admire the stainless steel artwork hanging on the wall. Once she had absorbed all she could, Aelita returned to the group. She arrived while Yumi was desperately trying to convince Ulrich to go up with them. Ulrich denied repeatedly before Yumi gave up and just drug him into the elevator. Ulrich steadily grew more and more pale as the elevator ascended. When the doors opened, he nearly passed out. All he could see was blue sky and the tops of buildings far in the distance. He stepped out of the elevator and clung desperately to the wall. Yumi felt a pang of guilt after she looked at his poor condition. She placed her hand on his shoulder, which was trembling badly, just adding to her guilt. "Hey, I'm sorry for making you come up. I just didn't want you to miss anything. Why don't we go back down?"

Much to her surprise, he shook his head. "No, I need to face my fears." Yumi smiled and held his hand, "Then we'll do it together."

He sent her a weak smile, and started walking towards the edge. The closer they got, the harder he squeezed her hand. When he finally reached the edge, he released Yumi's hand and placed both of his on the railing. He glanced at the ground and immediately regretted it. His head started spinning and his vision started to blur. Yumi noticed this and pulled him against her chest. "Alright, enough fear facing for one day."

A little ways down the deck Jeremie stood together with Aelita. Jeremie was quoting useless little facts about the building they were in and about the city in general but all Aelita could do was stare softly at him. She lost herself in his soothing voice, letting it wash over her. She loved the way he could make something so boring like data and numbers seem like something magical. While lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize that Jeremie had stopped talking. He had noticed her staring at him and started blushing bright red. "A-Aelita?" Jeremie stammered.

Aelita broke her reverie and looked confusedly at the red faced boy in front of her. Then she realized what she had been doing and started to blush herself. Luckily for them, Odd chose that moment to announce that he was ready to move on. They quickly stepped towards the elevator, glad to have avoided the awkwardness of the situation.

The gang quickly spaced themselves from the building and walked towards Central Park Zoo. Once the gates were in sight, Aelita noticed something about them. "Jeremie, did you know that there's an American movie that's based on this zoo."

"Oh really, what's it about?"

"Uh, I think animals trying to escape or something like that. I read about it while I was studying American culture. It said that it was very popular and had several sequels made to it."

"Americans sure make some weird films."

Aelita nodded her assent as they walked underneath the brick arches. Once the admission had been paid and everyone agreed on a time to meet up at the gates to leave, Aelita decided that she wanted to see the polar bears. Jeremie chased after the energized girl, trying not to lose her in the crowd. He found her sitting cross-legged on a wooden bench, watching the large animals intently as they lie about sleepily. She quickly grew bored with their laziness and moved onto the much more active jaguars. She watched them, entranced by the fluidity and gracefulness of its movements. After several minutes, she decided to move on.

While she and Jeremie walked hand-in-hand, Aelita spotted a petting zoo in the less crowded section of the zoo. She pulled away from Jeremie and walked slowly towards a sheep and crouched down to its level. She cautiously stretched her hand towards it while Jeremie watched with an amused smile. The sheep nuzzled its head against her and licked Aelita's face. She giggled and hugged it. Another sheep strutted up to them and rubbed its head against Aelita's shoulder. Aelita giggled again and wrapped an arm around its neck.

Jeremie watched her for a long while, enjoying the sight of her enjoying herself. To him, it seemed that everything loved her. "_And how could they not. She's perfect in every way possible."_

Jeremie noted the slowly setting sun and called for Aelita. She petted the baby pig she'd been holding one last time before walking over to Jeremie. She intertwined their fingers and they walked towards the gate. By the time the gang had gathered at the gate, the sun had set fully, leaving only wisps of orange and red on the horizon. They walked towards the subway station, taking the scenic route through Central Park. Aelita whispered to Jeremie quietly, telling him everything she could hear in the woods. All the little creatures and nocturnal animals fascinated her. The trees gave way to city streets and eventually underground tunnels. Their ride was behind schedule so they sat on a bench and waited. Jeremie marveled at the engineering of the tunnels and the cars rushing by on the other side of the tracks. Eventually it arrived, and they all filed on. Jeremie grabbed a hold of the handle above his head. He looked at Aelita and noticed she hadn't moved to support herself. "Aelita," Jeremie said, letting go and pointing to the hand-holds on the roof, "hold on so you don't fall when the car starts moving." Aelita obliged, but before Jeremie could do the same, the car shot off and threw him on his behind. Aelita gasped, her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. She let go to help him up but at that moment the car turned sharply and threw her onto the floor beside him. Odd watched the entire spectacle, bemused. "Look, they're falling for each other all over again." He exclaimed. Ulrich and Yumi burst out laughing. For the second time that day, Aelita and Jeremie blushed a deep red. Jeremie stood and helped an equally embarrassed Aelita off the ground. The rest of the ride passed by uneventfully.

Exhausted by the day's events, the gang trudged sleepily back to the hotel. They exchanged good nights at their rooms and retired for the night. Everyone slept well that night.

(Break)

Jeremie came to, quickly noting that several things weren't quite right. One, there was a weight on his chest he wasn't accustomed to. Two, the air he was breathing was unusually sweet and pleasant. He cracked open one eye. He was greeted by a mass of pink that smiled brightly down at him.

"Good morning, Jeremie."

Jeremie grinned, feeling his heart rate skyrocket. He craned his neck and kissed her on the tip of her nose. Aelita flushed and returned the favor before rolling off to let Jeremie up. He headed for the bathroom to get ready while Aelita followed everyone else down for breakfast. Jeremie let the warm water wash down his body, quickly rushing through his shower. He didn't want to be apart from Aelita any longer than necessary. Once he finished up and got dressed, Jeremie gathered all of his belongings together and crammed them into his suitcase. He scanned the room to make sure they hadn't left anything. Satisfied, he joined the rest of his friends for breakfast.

After they'd eaten their fill, they loaded up the car and headed out. Yumi drove them to the ferry that would carry them across the water to Liberty Island. They rode the ferry across the choppy water. Aelita started to feel sick and clung to the railing for dear life. Jeremie sensed her discomfort and rubbed her back in circles while whispering consolingly in her ear. Aelita loved knowing that no matter what, Jeremie would always be there. She slowly grew accustomed to the sway of the ship and her seasickness dwindled away. Aelita sighed with relief as they moored the ferry and she scrambled for dry land. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring in stunned silence at the giant ornate woman towering above her. She was broken out of her reverie by Jeremie pulling her gently towards the entrance. They rode the elevator up to an iron spiral staircase that they followed to the observation platform in the crown. Just after they arrived, a man dropped to one knee in front of his girlfriend and proposed. The crowd that had gathered cheered when she gleefully accepted.

Odd grinned devilishly and whispered in Jeremie's ear, "Better take some notes for when you propose to Aelita."

Jeremie blushed and shoved Odd, who started laughing happily. Aelita sent Jeremie a questioning look but he only shook his head, blushing even more. Odd, however, wasn't finished.

"Oh Aelita, he's just planning for when he proposes to you." This earned a blush from her as well.

Ulrich shook his head and towed Odd away, sending the flushed pair an apologetic look over his shoulder. They faintly heard Odd say something along the lines of, "Don't get me started on you and Yumi." Ulrich smacked him on the back of the head, earning him a glare from his "good buddy".

Aelita interlocked fingers with Jeremie, her face just beginning to lose its color, and stared out one of the large glass panes at the bay below them. They stayed like that for several minutes, just enjoying each other's company, before Yumi arrived to inform them they were leaving. They descended from the monument and sailed back across the bay. Once across, they piled into the rental and headed for their next destination.


	3. Chapter 3

The inky darkness was only interrupted by the yellow headlights of the car and the occasional street light overhead. Periodically, another car would pass by in the opposite direction, causing Yumi to cringe and advert her eyes. Those of which she could barely keep open. They had driven through the night and into the early morning hours. With each passing second her eyelids grew heavier, causing her to nod off every so often. Every time this would happen, she would drift over the yellow line into oncoming traffic. Said traffic would blare their horns, waking Yumi. She would then yank the car back onto her side of the road in the nick of time.

This pattern went on for about an hour before a particularly harsh encounter roused Ulrich who had been slumbering peacefully in the passenger seat. He noticed Yumi's ragged demeanor and set his hand gently on her shoulder. She jumped slightly, turning to look at him. "Sorry I woke you."

"No, it's fine," Ulrich responded. He watched her eyes close and linger there for longer than normal. "Yumi, why don't you pull over for the night. You need your rest just like all of us."

"It's fine Ulrich. D.C is just a few more hours away. . ."

"And you may only have a few more minutes." Ulrich interjected. "Please Yumi, I want you to enjoy this vacation too and running yourself into the ground won't do that. That and you're no fun when you're tired."

Yumi glared half-heartedly at him out of the corner of her eye and pulled off at the next exit. She steered off to the side of the road and turned the car off. Yumi settled back into her seat, reclining it back to a more comfortable angle. She shifted so she could look at Ulrich, who had drifted back to sleep.

Yumi closed her eyes, letting the much longed for sleep overcome her, "Good night Ulrich."

Ulrich smiled slightly and muttered, "Good night Yumi."

(Break)

The late morning sun filtered through the sun roof, waking Jeremie. He rubbed the sleep out his eyes and looked at the pink haired girl snoring softly in the seat next to him. Her hair was puffed up and jutting out randomly. Her mouth was gaping slightly with a tad bit of drool and she had her knees pulled up to her chest. Tucked in one arm was Mr. Puck, his arms and legs dangling about. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Jeremie's heart pace quickened as Aelita stirred. She yawned and stretched cat-like in her seat. She opened one eye and sent Jeremie one of her award winning smiles. "Good morning Jeremie," She glanced out the window and added, "Are we in D.C?"

Jeremie studied his surrounding for the first time. "I don't think so. Yumi must've gotten tired and stopped for the night."

"She wouldn't have if I didn't make her," Ulrich said, startling the two geniuses.

"Ulrich!" Aelita exclaimed, "Did we wake you?"

Ulrich shook his head. "Nah, I've been awake for awhile actually. Long enough to catch Einstein checking you out while you were sleeping." He sent a wink Jeremie's way. Jeremie blushed with Aelita following suit to lesser degree.

Odd chuckled from the back seat, having caught the tail end of Ulrich's statement. "What do you expect Ulrich, he's completely bonkers for her."

Jeremie groaned and slipped deeper into his seat. Odd and Ulrich cackled at their friend's discomfort while Aelita grasped his hand supportively. All the laughter caused the last sleeper to rouse. Yumi yawned and sat up, looking around confusedly. "What'd I miss?"

She was answered with more laughter. Jeremie shook his head. "Can we just get to D.C so I don't have to be near these two goons anymore."

"Lighten up Jer," Ulrich said good-naturedly.

"Yeah," Odd chimed in, "You can't get rid of us that easily."

Jeremie glowered at Yumi who rolled her eyes, a giggle slipping between her lips, and started the car. The rest of the ride was filled with playful bantering between friends and discussions of what they planned on doing when they got to D.C.

(Break)

The gang piled out of the car, ready to stretch their stiff legs. Aelita slipped her hand into Jeremie's as they made their way towards the memorials. Odd catcalled, earning him a smack to the head by Yumi and gaining the attention of several passerby's, much to Jeremie's chagrin.

"Hey Jeremie," Aelita inquired as they neared a V-shaped wall of stone, "Which one is this?"

Jeremie paused to think, cocking his head to one side. "Vietnam, I believe."

Aelita nodded absentmindedly as she ran her hand over the smooth stone surface. "Who are all these people?" she asked.

"American soldiers that died in the conflict."

Aelita looked at Jeremie in disbelief. "That's not possible. Right?"

He smiled sadly at her naivety, "I wish it was Aelita."

They had reached the middle of the wall by then. Aelita looked at it, gobsmacked. Her eyes scanned from name to name, moving slowly from top to bottom. Her hand flew to her mouth and gasped, tugging on Jeremie's sleeve. "Jeremie, Jeremie, look at this!" she exclaimed softly.

Jeremie looked to where she was pointing frantically. He grinned as his eyes landed on a Jacob Stones. He watched her run her delicate fingers over the name over and over. Aelita memorized the location of Stones and moved on down the wall. Eventually the gray stone tapered away into the earth. Just before leaving, Aelita stopped and turned around. She looked at the wall, trying to comprehend the sheer immensity of it all. Her thoughts drifted to Jacob Stones and she tried to locate him from her vantage point. The task quickly proved to be impossible. "_He's just one name in an endless ocean of them. Just a single drop of water in an endless sea. Just like me in this world._" Aelita was pulled out her mellow thoughts by a soft touch on her arm.

"Penny for your thoughts," Jeremie whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her.

Aelita turned around so she could return the embrace. She stared into his endless blue eyes, reminding her of the ocean she had just been thinking of. "We're so small. So insignificant."

Jeremie stared deep into her lime-green eyes that glittered and danced in the sunlight. He understood her vague statement with absolute clarity. That was one thing he loved so much about their relationship. They always could tell what the other one meant.

"Small, yes, but insignificant. . . not a chance."

Jeremie smiled down at the girl in his arms, pulling her closer. He gently pressed his forehead against hers, their noses lightly brushing each other and lips just inches apart. "You're anything but insignificant Aelita."

Jeremie closed the gap between them, kissing her tenderly on the lips. Aelita pulled herself closer, moaning lightly into the kiss and tangling one hand in Jeremie's hair. Someone coughed loudly causing the duo to jump apart. They looked angrily towards whoever had interrupted them then blushed a deep scarlet. Standing beside them was a police officer with a slightly embarrassed expression. "Could you uh, take this," he gestured towards Jeremie and Aelita who were now standing several feet apart, "elsewhere so that you don't offend anyone."

Jeremie and Aelita stammered out apologies, tripping over one another's words. Finally giving up, the pair dashed away, still beet-red in the face. The officer chuckled to himself. "Teenagers," he mumbled as he strode away.

(Break)

Jeremie and Aelita caught up to the rest of their friends who had made their way towards the Korean Memorial. Aelita's eyes were instantly drawn to the statues of soldiers that stood in the center. She gravitated towards them, placing her hands on the chain that separated them from Aelita. They all seemed to hold some indiscernible emotion, each one different from the next. Her gaze settled on the statue nearest her. He stood within arm's reach, rifle clutched in his grasp. His eyes met Aelita's with a stare that seemed to burn into her very soul. His expression seemed to change, morphing from one emotion to another in a matter of seconds. First it was fear, then horror, then a determination that she'd only seen matched by that of Jeremie when hunched over his keyboard, hunting desperately for her anti-virus all that time ago. She peeled her gaze away, unwilling to watch on any longer but at the same time, unable to look away. She walked a short distance away, but then stopped and turned to look at the soldier again. She tried to determine his emotion but from there his face was a blank slate. Aelita sighed and trudged towards Jeremie who had meandered a ways along the granite wall. He was absentmindedly running his hand over the glossy smooth surface, studying all the overlapping images. Aelita reached him as the wall petered off. Together, they strolled around the large, flat fountain. As they reached the opposite side, Aelita looked across the water at the small island in the center of the fountain. There stood a low wall with the phrase _Freedom is not Free _engraved on it.

A shiver ran down her spine as her thoughts drifted to Lyoko. All the time and effort spent just getting her to earth. Then the countless nights spent fighting exhaustion as Jeremie slaved away searching for her anti-virus. And then the final push to defeat the demented AI once and for all. And the final price that had to be paid: her father's life for her own. "_No,"_ She thought, "_there's nothing free about my freedom."_

Aelita looked at the blonde standing next to her. He too looked to be deep in thought. She looked at the deep bags that had formed under his eyes. They were just now beginning to recede as he began getting the normal amount of sleep. She studied the wrinkles that had formed canyons on his forehead in the corners of his eyes. Those lines held more stress and strain than most people would face in a lifetime. Finally, she looked at his eyes. Those beautiful, blue eyes. They had lost so much of their luster during their fight. In fact, Aelita thought she'd lost him for awhile, but he found his way back. He found his way home. And now they shone with a brightness she hadn't seen since the first time she'd met him. Although it was still different, more mature. But it was nonetheless there.

His gaze shifted towards her, their eyes meeting. He smiled and extended his hand to her. She gratefully accepted it. Just like everything they did, together Jeremie and Aelita exited the somber place.

The gang strolled through downtown D.C, occasionally stopping to examine a monument here and there. The late day sunlight streamed down, turning the humid air hot and sticky. Odd let his tongue loll out, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling it open and close repeatedly. Aelita giggled at her friend's silly antics while fanning herself with her hand. Next to her, Yumi was quickly becoming frustrated with her sweater. The cloth continuously clung to her skin and the humidity made her skin itch. Finally fed up with the discomfort, she pulled the sweater over her head and wrapped it around her waist, leaving her in a slightly revealing, tight tank top. Ulrich felt the blood run to his face as he tried not to stare.

Jeremie guided his friends up the large marble stairs towards the giant statue of America's sixteenth president. Aelita drifted away from the rest of the group, finding herself at the foot of Lincoln. She squinted up at his face. She mentally traced his smooth brow, moving down the crest of his nose and over his frozen lips. Her eyes travelled across his stony jawline before finding his eyes with her own.

Jeremie noticed the pensive girl and found his way towards her. There was something about the way her brow furrowed when she was thinking that he found extremely attractive. But then again, there wasn't a single he found unattractive about her. He towed her away around back to where everyone else was. Odd and Ulrich were racing up the large stone steps while Yumi officiated the event. Ulrich pulled ahead and collapsed next her, followed by an extremely winded Odd. Yumi pecked Ulrich on the cheek as award for winning. Odd whined next to them, muttering that Ulrich only won because Yumi was the referee. Jeremie and Aelita dropped next them, letting their feet dangle over the edge. Odd eyed Aelita sidelong, a strange feeling welling up in his chest. He shook it off as Ulrich challenged him to a rematch.

Night began to fall around the friends and streetlights started to flicker to life. Odd and Ulrich were collapsed on the stone slabs half asleep while Yumi and Jeremie chatted idly and Aelita sat close by listening in. Her mind began to wander and she thought back to Jacob Stones. "_Maybe we could go back so I could see him once more before we move on."_ She thought.

She voiced her request to Jeremie who readily agreed. Yumi roused the exhausted competitors and they were off. The memorial was much different at night. "_More somber,_" Aelita thought as she noted the complte and utter emptiness. Not a single soul roamed the grounds. Candles lined the wall, flickering eerily on the gray stone. Aelita quickly located Jacob. She tried to imagine what he looked like. She imagined a tall man, heavily muscled, with an uneven tan line on his face from wearing sunglasses all day. He had brown hair and a scar running from under his right eye to the tip of his mouth. He always wore a gaunt expression except when visiting his nieces, who always had the ability to bring a smile to his face. She imagined that his death had come when he traveled back into enemy territory to rescue his best friend, who had been left behind when their camp was ambushed in the dead of night. "_It's amazing all that you can do with a name,_" Aelita thought. She figured he deserved to die an admirable death.

"What kind of person do you think he was Jeremie? What kind of personality do you think he had?"

Jeremie opened his mouth to answer, but someone else beat him to it. They both jumped as an older woman spoke up from behind them. Neither Jeremie nor Aelita had noticed her approach them.

"He was a quiet man. Always thinking about something. He was very caring as well. Always putting others before him. He enjoyed just sitting by the fire and staring into it for hours at a time. I used to miss him so much."

"_Used to."_ Something about the way she said that struck Aelita as out of place. She tilted her head to one side as she sent the woman an inquisitive look. "How do you know so much about him? Were you his sister?"

"I once was his wife."

Aelita looked back at Jacob's name on the wall. "_There she goes again._" Aelita thought, "_Once was."_

"What do you mean by 'Once was' Miss Stones?" Aelita asked as she turned to the older woman again. Her voice caught in her throat.

She was gone.

Aelita looked up and down the wall, searching closely for any signs of the mysterious woman. But surely enough, there was no one. A shiver crept down her spine. "Where did that woman go Jeremie," she asked.

Jeremie glanced around, his forehead creasing in confusion. "I don't have a clue. She was just right here. Hmm, strange."

"Yes strange indeed."

A quiet whisper floated on the breeze, tickling Aelita's ears. "Relish every moment with him. You never know when you'll lose it."

She glanced around, trying to find the culprit, but yet again in vain. She and Jeremie met up with the others. They agreed to meet at the car in an hour. Yumi, Ulrich and Odd went off to visit other memorials while Jeremie and Aelita laid down together in the large, grassy field. They interlocked fingers and used their free hands to point out constellations in the starry sky above them.

"That's the Big Dipper right Jeremie?" Aelita asked, pointing.

"No," Jeremie responded patiently, pointing to a different set of stars, "that there is the Big Dipper. What you're looking at is the Little Dipper." He finished his statement by looking in her direction. He found her doing the same. As if by some magnetic attraction, they found themselves growing slowly closer. Aelita closed her eyes, pressing her lips against his. The voice from earlier played through her head. "_Relish every moment."_ Aelita pushed harder, drawing herself closer to him. Jeremie worked his lips against hers, his tongue dancing with hers. Aelita rolled on top, grinding her body on his and tangling her fists in his blonde locks. Jeremie's hands roamed her back, breathing in her heady scent and letting it flood all of his senses. Just as Aelita was about to go up for air, a bright light was shined in her eyes. She gasped and rolled off of Jeremie. She squinted at the intruder.

Her face flushed a bright red as she realized just who it was that had interrupted them. Aelita groaned. "_You've gotta be kidding me. It's the same cop from earlier._"

"What're you kids doing?" the police officer demanded.

Jeremie looked like a deer in headlights. "We were just. . . I mean. . . I . . . We . . ." Jeremie stuttered at a complete loss of words. Aelita tried to cover for him but she fared no better. Every time she tried to speak, her thoughts would muddle together and she would stumble over herself just as badly as Jeremie. Much to their chagrin, the cop burst out laughing, gripping his tubby belly as it shook with laughter. He shook his head, rolling his eyes, and strode away muttering, "I remember when I was young."

Jeremie and Aelita glanced at each other, thoroughly embarrassed and red-faced. "It's getting late, maybe we should head back." Jeremie offered meekly. Aelita nodded and accepted his outstretched hand to help her up.

They found the others already waiting for them. Odd noticed the small distance between the two and the blush that had still not fully drained from their faces, He raised an eyebrow, posing the question, "What happened with you guys?"

Jeremie and Aelita responded in unison, "I'd rather not talk about it."

(Break)

The gang had only driven a short distance when Aelita noticed a drive-in theater playing a movie on the side of the road. They unanimously decided that it was a good idea and stopped to watch. Yumi parked in the nearly deserted lot. Odd hopped out to go buy snacks while Jeremie and Ulrich laid down the rear seats and popped open the trunk. Yumi spread out a blanket for everyone to lay down on. Aelita curled up on Jeremie's chest, burying her head in his shirt. She listened to the sound of his heart beating softly in his chest. It was soothing and soon enough Aelita found herself drifting off to sleep. She was fully asleep before the opening credits even began, Jeremie's shirt clutched tightly in her tiny palms.


	4. Chapter 4

"Wake up, Aelita. It's time to go."

Aelita blinked blearily, sleep still tugging at her eyelids. A cool night breeze brushed across her face, pushing her unruly hair aside. She felt something shift underneath her and some muddled voices around her. She shifted slightly, opening her eyes fully.

Jeremie's face came into focus above her, his eyes locking with hers.

"Come on, Aelita. The movie's over and we're packing up. Do you need help getting to your seat?"

Aelita blinked again, sitting up stiffly and stretching her sore limbs.

"If you could, that'd be wonderful."

Jeremie smiled warmly and helped her off the tailgate and onto her feet. Once standing, she snuggled against Jeremie, relishing his warmth. He chuckled and guided her into the backseat of the van, where she curled up and fell asleep instantly.

Jeremie brushed her lush, pink hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He glanced over her sleeping form one more time before returning to help the others.

(Break)

The sun slowly crested over the horizon and night gave way to day. Staring out the passenger window and fighting utter boredom, Ulrich sighed, having resigned to being unable to sleep several hours before.

"Where are we going next?"

"Ulrich, I've already answered that question three times."

"I know Yumi, but I'm bored."

Yumi huffed, pushing her raven hair out of her face, "Gatlinburg. Happy?"

"Where's that at?"

Yumi glared at him from the driver's seat. "Ulrich, we're not having this conversation again."

"Then what _do_ you want to talk about?"

Yumi cursed under her breath and laid on the horn as another reckless driver cut her off. "Not now Ulrich! If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to drive and these Americans are absolute lunatics!"

Ulrich shrank back in his seat and resigned once again to looking out the window. This time though, something caught his eye.

"Mammoth Cave?" he mumbled to himself as a highway sign sped by.

"What was that about a cave?"

Ulrich turned around to find his excitable blonde friend perked up in the backseat.

"Mammoth Cave, Odd." Ulrich muttered. He wasn't ready to deal with his friend's endless energy quite yet. And Yumi's bad mood hadn't really helped his.

"What's that?" he inquired, now wide awake.

"How should I know? A big cave maybe?" Ulrich replied, returning to his perch by the window, "Ask Jeremie when he wakes up."

"Ask me what?" Jeremie asked, rubbing his eyes and righting his glasses.

"Nice job guys. You woke him, and just when he was starting to get the proper amount of sleep."

Jeremie glared playfully at Yumi then returned his attention back to Odd. Odd repeated his question. Jeremie's brow furrowed together and his glasses slipped a little ways down his nose.

"I don't think I've ever heard of it. Why do you ask?"

"Ulrich was talking to himself and I heard him say something about a cave. Obviously I was interested."

Ulrich flushed angrily and turned around to glare daggers at his friend.

"I wasn't talking to myself."

Odd brushed him off with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah yeah, you were talking to Yumi but she wasn't talking back. Whatever good buddy."

Ulrich continued to glare at him, a slight blush tingeing his cheeks. Odd answered with a wink and continued, "Anyway, this place sounds like fun and I wanna go. Anyone else up for it?"

Jeremie answered first, his interest piqued, "I am. I think Odd might've actually come up with a good idea."

Ulrich scoffed and turned back around, crossing his arms across his chest.

"There's a first time for everything."

"So that means you'll go?"

"Sure. Why not Odd."

"I think it's a great idea," Aelita chimed in, having listened in on the entire conversation.

"Great!" Odd shouted, "Yumi, set a course for Mammoth Cave!"

"What, don't I get a say in this?" Yumi asked wryly.

"Of course not," Odd replied cheerily, "you're the chauffer. You just go where we tell you."

Yumi chuckled and pulled off at the next exit.

(Break)

An icy breeze greeted them as the gang mounted the small concrete hill. On the other side was a gaping hole in the ground fifty yards across. Twin escalators clinked beside each other, one descending into darkness while the other ascended out of it. Yellow lights glowed inside the cave, just out of sight.

Aelita stared, awestruck by the sight. She could faintly hear water dripping, light and hollow splashes. She subconsciously rubbed her bare arms as the underground air washed over her, suddenly wishing she had brought a jacket despite the sweltering heat outside.

"Let's not spend all day standing here. The real excitement's inside!"

Aelita glanced at Odd, quickly noticing his cut-off T-shirt. From what she could tell, he wasn't even the slightest bit cold, much to her amazement.

Next to him, Ulrich rolled his eyes.

"Lead the way, Oh great adventurer," he said sarcastically.

Aelita took up the rear as Odd led them towards the escalators. Between the twin sets of motorized stairs was a narrow strip of grey steel that ran their entire length. Little rivulets of condensation snaked across the metal plating. Aelita traced their paths with the tip of her finger as the cave entrance slowly swallowed her and her friends. She looked up when she felt her fingers become intertwined with another.

"Having fun?" Jeremie asked softly, rubbing little circles on the back of her hand.

"More than you could possibly imagine," she answered smiling sweetly.

Aelita leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"This has got to be the best vacation ever," she whispered when she pulled away, leaving her arms wrapped around his neck. As always, her eyes drifted to his piercing blue ones. She could never get tired of staring into them.

"It's barely begun," he responded.

They reluctantly separated as they neared the bottom.

Aelita stepped off the escalator and walked a little ways in. The water dripping was much louder and she could hear voices echoing from inside. A light fog had formed on the edges of the trail leading deeper into the cavern.

"Whaddya think, Princess. Pretty cool huh?"

Aelita stopped her investigation of the cave walls and looked at Odd's expectant face.

"It really is, great idea Odd! Maybe you aren't as dumb as we make you out to be," Aelita finished teasingly with a playful wink.

Odd laughed and gestured deeper into the cave. "Let's see what all Mammoth Cave has to offer."

Aelita started to follow, but stopped and glanced around her. "Where's Jeremie? He was just here."

Odd replied without breaking step and pointed over his shoulder, "Over there checking out some rock. You know, being classic Einstein."

Aelita spotted him hunched over by the cave wall. She called out to Odd and the others that she'd catch up in a minute. Odd waved over his shoulder, "Whatever love birds. Just don't take too long, it's starting to get a little chilly down here."

"_So he does get cold," _she thought wryly. Aelita rolled her eyes, ignoring the slight blush creeping up her neck, and walked over to Jeremie.

"Whatcha looking at Jeremie," she inquired over his shoulder.

"A speleothem," he answered matter-of-factly, rolling back on his heels to look at her better.

Aelita raised an eyebrow speculatively. "Why don't you just say stalagmite?"

"I… I … It's… I mean…" he stuttered, turning red up to his ears. Aelita giggled and cut him off.

"I'm just playing with you Jer. You know I think your "smart talk" is adorable." She rustled his blonde hair as he turned even redder. "C'mon, I bet there are even more _speleothems _inside."

Jeremie glared at her, muttering, "Oh shut up."

Aelita giggled again and pecked him on the cheek. "You know I love you."

"Yeah yeah," he said, kissing her back.

He intertwined their fingers and led her after their friends.

(Break)

"Odd get down from there!"

Ulrich rolled his eyes, wondering why Yumi hadn't seen this coming when all he'd been talking about during the hike were the handholds that were everywhere.

"Leave him alone, Yumi. Maybe he'll fall and knock some sense into that head of his."

"Be quiet Ulrich," Yumi admonished, her face turning red with frustration, "ODD! GET DOWN NOW!"

Odd sighed and climbed back down the stony wall. He rolled his eyes and joined Yumi and the others in the center of the cavern. "Alright _mom_. Happy?"

"I'm just trying to protect you from your own stupidity. If you just…"

The cave lights went black, pitching the gang into complete darkness.

Aelita yelped and clung to the person next to her.

"Hey guys, it's dark," she whispered sheepishly.

"No really, Aelita," Ulrich started sarcastically, "I never would've guessed."

"Sorry," she whispered. She clung on tighter, "Jeremie, I'm scared."

The person she was clinging to started with surprise.

"Huh? Aelita who do you think this is?"

She pulled back in surprise and tried to look through the darkness at the person standing next to her. That's when it struck her that he was wearing a sleeveless shirt. She pulled away completely, thankful that the dark was hiding the deep blush that had formed on her face.

"Sorry Odd," she whispered sheepishly as she started to search blindly for Jeremie.

He chuckled fondly, "It's fine Princess, go find your knight in shining armor."

Aelita blushed an even deeper shade of red, thankful yet again for the darkness.

"Jer, where are you?" Aelita whispered meekly.

"Over here Aelita. Just follow the sound of my voice."

As she walked away, Odd noticed just how much he missed her warmth and soft touch. And scent for that matter. He shook his head, expelling the thoughts. But regardless, the feeling remained.

It was dead silent for an uncomfortably long time. Aelita could here very slight movement in the distance, her mind conjuring up images of grey wolves stalking her in the darkness. Terrified, she buried her face in Jeremie's shirt. Sensing her discomfort, he wrapped his arms around her, whispering consolingly in her ear. After what seemed like an eternity, a park ranger called out, startling everyone.

"Hey! Is everyone alright!"

Ulrich recovered first since he was used to these sorts of things from his many cave excursions with his family in Germany.

"Yeah! How much longer till we can see again?"

"Not long, we've got people on it as we speak."

As if on cue, the lights flickered back to life, bathing the cave in its soft glow yet again.

Odd blinked repeatedly, waiting for his eyes to readjust. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. Yumi stood close to Ulrich, his arm draped around her shoulders. Opposite them, sitting on the ground against the wall, was Jeremie and Aelita. She had Jeremie's shirt clenched in one fist and her head buried in his chest. He had both arms wrapped protectively around her.

Odd chuckled to himself, slipping his hands into his pockets, and followed the park ranger out. From what he could tell, this part of the vacation was over. The others quickly followed suit.

(Break)

Yumi glanced up at the night sky through the windshield. As expected, all that stared back was the moon and stars. She forced her eyes back to the road, noting just how empty the highways were at this time of night. Unable to help it, her eyes traveled to the brunette next to her. Her mind wandered back to a time earlier that day, when she had let her frayed nerves and temper get the best of her. Now she had to make things right.

"Are you awake Ulrich?"

The boy in question stirred slightly. He stretched out his legs and turned to face her. He smiled lopsidedly at her.

"I am now."

Yumi rolled her eyes and returned his smile. That was when it struck her just how handsome he was. She felt her insides melt as his warm, chocolate brown eyes met hers. If possible, her smile widened even further.

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you about something."

He shifted so that he was more upright and stretched his arms over his head. He let out a quiet yawn.

"You can always talk to me, Yumi."

She forced her eyes back to the road, though much preferring his face to the dark asphalt outside. Her smiled faded as she continued.

"I know and you have no idea how much I appreciate that. But I want to apologize about earlier."

Ulrich frowned slightly, his brow creasing, as he tried to remember.

"Apologize for what?"

Yumi sighed slightly. Her pride was beginning to get the best of her but she swallowed it and continued.

"For how I acted earlier in the car. I let my frustration get to me and I let it out on you. It was wrong and I'm sorry."

It was quiet for several moments then, much to Yumi's surprise, Ulrich laughed.

"Yumi, you sound like a child that's about to be punished," he said, laughter still tugging at his voice, "There's no need to apologize. I'm here for you to vent. I'd prefer you to yell at me compared to holding it all in."

Yumi paused for a moment, then looked at the boy next to her.

"You know I love you right."

He blushed brightly and looked down at his lap. "You better, cause I don't know what I'd do without you."

Yumi blushed and glanced over her shoulder at her friends, all of whom were fast asleep. Returning her gaze to the road, she thought, "_God this is so much easier when we don't have them all staring at us._"


End file.
